


Good For You

by inlovewithnight



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Gen, Kinky Gen, Praise Kink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-27
Updated: 2015-06-27
Packaged: 2018-04-06 12:21:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4221528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithnight/pseuds/inlovewithnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Ekblad said he had an emotional phone call w/ Willie Mitchell after winning the Calder: "I actually almost teared up""<br/>[source: <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesonCoop/status/614550550147932160">this tweet</a>.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good For You

Aaron called Mitchell as soon as he finished with the press. The formal photos would happen after the show, and there were a lot of awards left to go, so he had time.

"Excuse me," he said to Jenny, the woman assigned as his handler. "Is there somewhere I could sit and make a few calls? Like, in private?"

She looked at him for a moment. "You're not going to get in trouble, are you?"

"I really just want to make calls." His family was still in the auditorium watching the show. He'd made them promise to stay there while he dealt with the interviews; they had been together for days, and they would be together after the show. He really needed a few minutes of privacy. Constant family time got into his head a little bit.

Jenny showed him to a small conference room, full of boxes. "Extra copies of the programs, the run of show, the scripts, everything," she said. "No one should need to come in here now. I'll knock when we need you for pictures."

"Thank you," he said, sitting down on the edge of the table. "Thank you so much."

She looked at him for a moment like she wanted to say something, then turned and left the room. He took his phone from his pocket and looked at it for a long moment.

Right. Do things in order.

He texted Claudia and Brendan, then his other friends from Barrie, ignoring the buzz of replies. They wouldn’t expect answers til later. He texted Sasha and Campbell. Then he took a breath, glanced at the door, and called Willie.

"Hey, kid."

Aaron closed his eyes and sagged against the table. "Hey."

"Congratulations." His voice was so warm, so proud, so uncomplicated. It always hit Aaron right in the pit of the stomach, in a way he didn’t quite understand but felt really good. 

"I knew it was gonna be you,” Willie went on. “I should’ve put a bet on it.”

"I wasn't sure.” Aaron rubbed the back of his neck, not sure how much he could say without coming off as weak. “It was intense. Scary."

"I hear you. But you did great. Looked great, sounded great. Great job up there."

Aaron laughed a little. "Thank you." He wouldn’t ask for Willie to go on, to say more; that would be weird and selfish. Hearing him say it once should be enough.

"I'm proud of you. Megan, too. We're so proud of you. You worked so fucking hard, and you did it."

Aaron clenched his teeth, willing himself to keep steady, and for the threatening burn to leave his eyes. That would really be fucked up, if he cried. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Of course you could have. But I'm glad you didn't. I like getting some reflected glory."

Aaron nodded, knowing it was stupid, that Willie couldn't see him, but also pretty sure that Willie would know. He got Aaron. He just did, all the time.

Willie's voice dropped, low and soft. "You need to hear it again?"

"Yeah." Aaron cleared his throat roughly. Definitely weak. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's okay." When Willie's voice sounded like that it made Aaron's hands shake. He didn't know how to handle it. 

Willie always said that was okay, that he didn’t need to know how to handle everything. It was okay to take his time. Aaron wasn’t sure really believed that, but it felt good to hear it.

"We're so proud of you," Willie said again. "You did good, and you deserve it."

Aaron exhaled. "Thank you."

"We love you, kiddo. We really do."

"I love you too." He wished that he had more words, or anything solid he could do to show them. They always said this was okay, too. They knew saying the words meant a lot. They didn't need more.

He still wished he could give it.

"I gotta do photos and stuff," he said finally. "I just, you know. I wanted to call."

"I'm glad you did. Have fun, eh? Enjoy the party. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Aaron snorted. "What does that leave?"

Willie laughed. "You're such a brat. I'll make you pay for that at camp."

"Wish it was sooner." He was doing his offseason workouts, he was keeping up with his training, but he missed the team. He missed dressing room bullshit and goofing off at meetings and… and everything.

It was good to be with his friends at home again, but he missed Willie and Megan. He missed their house and how it felt to be there. That wasn’t something he could say, though.

"You really don't,” Willie said, laughing, and for a minute Aaron couldn’t remember what he’d said out loud. “Enjoy your summer. That's an order."

"Okay, okay." Aaron smiled and rubbed his thumb along the edge of his phone. "Talk to you soon."

"You'd better. We miss you."

"I miss you too." Anyone else, Aaron would have wondered if they knew how much he meant it. With Willie and Megan he knew they did. He trusted them. They always told him that he never let them down.

He slipped his phone back into his pocket and stood up, adjusting the fall of his suit. He couldn't let the league or his family down either. Time to get back to work.


End file.
